French Open 2026 First-round Shocks

1. Jessica Pegula lost to Kimberly Birrell, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3

This has to be the biggest shock of the tournament so far.

Jessica Pegula, a consistent Grand Slam performer with back-to-back deep runs in recent majors, suffered an unexpected early exit against world No. 83 Kimberly Birrell.

After dominating the opening set, Pegula appeared firmly in control. But Kimberly Birrell completely shifted the momentum, increasing aggression and forcing a steady stream of errors from the American in the final two sets.

Beyond the scoreline, what makes this result stand out is the context: Pegula’s consistency at the highest level and her recent Grand Slam form made this defeat particularly striking, and it already ranks as one of the defining early surprises of the tournament.

2. Daniil Medvedev (6) lost to Adam Walton, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4

Medvedev’s rough relationship with Roland Garros added another chapter here, as Walton edged a chaotic five-setter to notch his first win over a top-10 player and just his fourth Grand Slam victory. It was the sort of match that swung wildly from brilliance to frustration, which is exactly why it sat so high on the shock scale.

3. Jiri Lehecka lost to Pablo Carreno Busta (6-3, 7-6, 6-3)

This one felt more unexpected than many of the higher-seeded losses.

Jiri Lehecka arrived in Paris in solid form, having shown strong results across the spring hard-court swing and a growing ability to adapt his game to different surfaces.

So it was surprising to see him comfortably beaten by veteran Pablo Carreno Busta, who came into the tournament with limited clay-court success in recent months and few signs of a deep run in him.

The straight-sets nature of the defeat only amplified the shock factor.

4. Taylor Fritz (7) lost to Nishesh Basavareddy, 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 6-7(9), 6-1

Technically, this was a huge upset on paper, but Fritz’s clay-court limitations meant it was not completely out of nowhere. Even so, Basavareddy’s sharp drop shots and poise in the key moments were enough to topple the seventh seed and send the American through to the second round.

5. Linda Noskova lost to Maria Sakkari (7-5, 7-5)

The women’s draw is often unpredictable, but this year’s opening round has been relatively steady at least by its usual standards.

Some results, like Ekaterina Alexandrova’s defeat to clay-court specialist Camila Osorio or Barbora Krejcikova’s early exit, felt explainable given form and fitness concerns.

But Linda Noskova’s defeat to Linda Noskova at the hands of Maria Sakkari still registered as a jolt. Noskova has enjoyed a strong and consistent season, with deep runs at Indian Wells, Stuttgart, and Madrid, and even a win over top opposition along the way.

While clay isn’t her best surface, this was still a notable stumble against a player who has struggled for momentum in recent seasons and has not found much success in Paris in recent years.